Re:Call
by takaondo
Summary: After seventeen months, Kurosaki Ichigo finally realizes why he always takes the long way home from school, even though there was a much shorter route home. Subtle IchiRuki


**Disclaimer:** BLEACH belongs to Kubo Tite and Shiueisha Publishings.

**Author's Notes:** Written for BA's '**Why We Love You**' give away. The theme was '**write an IchiRuki story in which your favourite IchiRuki moment is either talked about or remembered**.'

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"_Sometimes, it may be better to not try to forget at all, because you might just forget something important in the process."_

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><p><em><strong>Re:Call<strong>_

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"Thank you for your help with the soccer club, Kurosaki-senpai!"

The voice was unheard. Kurosaki Ichigo looked distracted as he casually threw his bag over his left shoulder and walked through the gate of Karakura High School. The sun was just setting on the orange horizon, casting its final shadows on the ground and into the empty streets. With no one else around, Ichigo had no reason to hide it any longer. He reached into his pocket, and pulled out the thing that had been bothering him all day.

The card that read 'Welcome to our Xcution.'

…

_Ginjou Kuugo turned to him._

"_Our objective is to get you your Shinigami powers back."_

…

He placed the card back into his pocket and scowled.

'It's been days since then, and I still haven't heard from them.' Ichigo thought bitterly to himself.

Distracted by those thoughts, it took him a moment to realize that he had already made it to the two-way intersection at the end of the street. He quickly glanced down both sides of the street before deciding on taking the shortest way home

'Now that I think about it, I always take the long way home.' Ichigo thought as he looked around at his surroundings. 'This is the first time in a while that I've used the shorter route…'

The street curved around a small park in the Yumizawa district. Ichigo stopped briefly to survey the park. He could see the sign that read 'Yumizawa Children's Park,' which was the official name of the park. It hung atop the large archway that led into the park. A little bit passed that was the playground which sported large jungle gym. It hadn't changed much since the last time he saw it.

He turned to look past the railing on the other side of the street, curious to see if anything else had changed. His eyes lit up with surprise at the dirt recreational area. Just like the park, it looked exactly the same as it did back then.

…

_With one upward slash, Ichigo cut the spider-like Hollow down. The Hollow crashed to the ground with a dull thud as blood splashed from the open wound on its mask. Still holding his large Zanpakutou in the air, he watched the slain hollow before him disappear into the small spirit particles that made up its body._

"_I haven't accepted any commitment… If things get bad, I might run away since I'm not a good enough person to sacrifice my life for strangers…" Ichigo said quietly. He started to turn around. "But…"_

_And he scowled angrily as he spoke._

"_I'm also not the kind of trash who can live happily without paying back his debts!" He proclaimed. He held out his hand. "I'm going to help you to do this Shinigami Job thing!"_

…

The memory faded and Ichigo stared quietly at the empty flat. His expression was stony and unreadable, hiding whatever emotions he may have felt. He turned away from the scene and continued walking as though nothing had happened.

'That's weird…' He thought with confusion. 'For some reason, it felt as though something was wrong…'

A few moments later, he made his a way down another long stretch of sidewalk, but suddenly stopped at the familiarity of it. He seemed surprised that it had taken him so long to realize where he was. It was exactly the same as he remembered it. Even the crack from where his sword had struck the sidewalk was still there from that time long ago.

…

_Ichigo's body was sprawled on the cold cement. The rain pounded him from above from the night sky. Blood gushed out from the two wounds in his chest onto the ground around him. He felt completely powerless as he lay there. Even his Zanpakutou, the sword that had used to protect people, lay broken a few feet away, and the only remains of the blade clung uselessly to its hilt. _

'_I can't say anything. I can't even move.' He thought. 'Why…?' _

_He gritted his teeth as his face contorted with frustration._

'_I came to protect you, but it was me who got protected again.'_

_And he could only yell out in agony._

"_Aaarrrggghhh!" _

…

There was a troubled looked on Ichigo's face as he came back to his senses. As he walked away, his hand unconsciously clenched the strap of his shoulder bag. But before he could completely regain his composure, his eyes were drawn to the small cul-de-sac across the street. The small buildings that enclosed the small area struck a small chord in heart.

"This place is…" He said quietly.

It was a place that he definitely remembered.

…

_Ichigo drew Zangetsu from his back and swiftly held the blade out to his side. Large amounts of reiatsu radiated from his body and the large Hollow in front of him froze from the overwhelming pressure._

_A confident grin made its way onto his face_

"_Tsk." He grunted. "You're really noisy, you know?"_

…

Ichigo quickly closed his eyes, forcing himself to look away as though the memory had hurt him. He didn't understand why it affected him the way it did. Though he was confused, he continued on his way without a second glance.

"Why can't I shake off this uneasy feeling?" He muttered with slight frustration. "Even though I can remember all those times clearly, it feels as though I've forgotten something important."

His footsteps came to a sudden halt as he froze with realization. The three memories once again flashed through his mind. He realized that it was never the memories that made him uneasy. It was what was missing.

And his expression softened.

'I see. So that's the reason why I always avoid this route.' He thought as his eyes fell. 'All this time, I've been unconsciously avoiding the things that remind me of those moments when I was a Shinigami. I tried to forget it all, tried to forget how powerless I had become…'

He looked back and up and continued walking. He turned the final corner and stopped.

"But that's not all that I've forgotten… is it?" He whispered to himself.

Ichigo had arrived at the street that was in front of his house. He stood there patiently waiting as though something was going to happen. As though on cue, the small outline of a person started to appear from his memories onto the street. The familiar Shinigami attire wavered strikingly as the figure moved forward, and the worn sandals echoed lightly against the pavement with each step, just as he remembered.

And almost unconsciously, he started to walk towards the imaginary image. With each step he took, the memories of the person in front of him came back to him in small flashes within his mind, filling up the memories from before;

"_Ah… Thanks…" She said gratefully._

The way her eyes lit up when he said he would become a Substitute Shinigami.

_She turned to look at him one last time before the Senkaimon doors closed behind her._

The unspeakable sadness in her expression when she looked back at him after he was cut down by Kuchiki Byakuya.

"_That's the kind of man I know you are, Ichigo!"_

The pride on her face when she brought him back with her strong words.

He had forgotten those moments. He knew why. Because he had tried so hard to forget the world that he could no longer be a part of, he had also inadvertently forgotten many of the moments that he had shared with the person who had changed his world.

Kuchiki Rukia.

The both of them came to a stop at the same distance from one another as they did last time. Ichigo looked down at her as she looked up at him, and though he knew she was just a memory, he almost shivered at feelings of nostalgia that stirred in the very core of his soul.

"Sorry..." Ichigo apologized to the memory of her. "For almost forgetting those precious moments with you."

Rukia's form slowly started to disappear like it did last time and Ichigo reached out to her before the memory completely faded away into the wind. But unlike the last time, there was no hints sadness on his face as he watched her vanish.

"Wait…" He muttered. "Wait just a little bit longer, Rukia…"

Determination lit up in his narrowed eyes as he lightly clenched his outstretched hand, showing the world the resolve that he had lost for so long.

"I will definitely get my Shinigami powers back…!"

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_**Fin**_

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